Enter the Dragon: The Dynamic and Multifunctional Evolution of Anguimorpha Lizard Venoms

While snake venoms have been the subject of intense study, comparatively little work has been done on lizard venoms. In this study, we have examined the structural and functional diversification of anguimorph lizard venoms and associated toxins, and related these results to dentition and predatory ecology. Venom composition was shown to be highly variable across the 20 species of Heloderma, Lanthanotus, and Varanus included in our study. While kallikrein enzymes were ubiquitous, they were also a particularly multifunctional toxin type, with differential activities on enzyme substrates and also ability to degrade alpha or beta chains of fibrinogen that reflects structural variability. Examination of other toxin types also revealed similar variability in their presence and activity levels. The high level of venom chemistry variation in varanid lizards compared to that of helodermatid lizards suggests that venom may be subject to different selection pressures in these two families. These results not only contribute to our understanding of venom evolution but also reveal anguimorph lizard venoms to be rich sources of novel bioactive molecules with potential as drug design and development lead compounds

Proteomic and functional variation within black snake venoms (Elapidae: Pseudechis )

Pseudechis (black snakes) is an Australasian elapid snake genus that inhabits much of mainland Australia, with two representatives confined to Papua New Guinea. The present study is the first to analyse the venom of all 9 described Pseudechis species (plus one undescribed species) to investigate the evolution of venom composition and functional activity. Proteomic results demonstrated that the typical Pseudechis venom profile is dominated by phospholipase A2 toxins. Strong cytotoxicity was the dominant function for most species. P. porphyriacus, the most basal member of the genus, also exhibited the most divergent venom composition, being the only species with appreciable amounts of procoagulant toxins. The relatively high presence of factor Xa recovered in P. porphyriacus venom may be related to a predominantly amphibian diet. Results of this study provide important insights to guide future ecological and toxinological investigations

Safety and efficacy of long-term asenapine versus olanzapine in schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder patients

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Erratum: Long-term assessment of asenapine vsolanzapine in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (Pharmacopsychiatry (2010) 43 (138-146))

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ASENAPINE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: AN OVERVIEW OF CLINICAL TRIALS IN THE OLYMPIA PROGRAM

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Long-term efficacy and safety of asenapine or olanzapine in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder: an extension study

Geneeskunde en GesondheidswetenskappePsigiatriePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]

Gini impurity and SHAP scores for unplanned readmission.

a) Gini impurity scores for features included in the 30-day unplanned readmission model. Higher values indicate increased effectiveness of features at separating those at risk of 30-day unplanned readmission from those not at risk of 30-day unplanned readmission. b) A Shapley summary plot. Color indicates feature value (red: High, blue: Low) and position along the x-axis indicates magnitude and direction of the feature’ impact on model predictions.</p